News & Events

Contact Us:

Headlines (Campus Updates)

WLU

Laurier’s Andriy Shkilko and Chris Alcantara receive research awards

Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing

Apr 4/14

Andriy Shkilko, associate professor of finance, and Christopher Alcantara, associate professor of political science, were awarded Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation Early Researcher Awards by the honourable John Milloy, MPP Kitchener-Centre, at an event held at the Perimeter Institute April 4. Shkilko was also awarded an Ontario Research Fund - Research Infrastructure grant at the event.

"At Laurier, we are proud of our reputation as a leading Canadian university with a strong reputation for academic excellence and a deep commitment to our community,” said Abby Goodrum, vice-president, Research. “The funding announced today will help to support our faculty's world-changing research in public policy and financial markets, investigating issues that will have a real effect on the lives of people in Ontario and all of Canada. We are delighted to partner with the Ontario government to support this important work."

Shkilko, who was also named Canada Research Chair in Financial Markets on March 28, specializes in market microstructure. His current research examines the structural shift in financial markets whereby high-speed computers have been replacing human traders, and the effects of this high-frequency trading on the functionality and fairness of financial markets.

Alcantara’s research examines the emerging partnerships between indigenous and local/regional govenments in Canada. He seeks to uncover the factors that generate cooperation between these governments and to assess the effects of these partnerships on indigenous-settler relations.

"Waterloo Region leads some of the most innovative research in this province. I am delighted to announce Ontario's support for the ground-breaking, world-class research being conducted at three of our fine educational facilities right here in Waterloo Region,” said Milloy, who also presented awards to researchers from the Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo. “Their work will be instrumental to a dynamic and innovative business climate in Ontario, a climate that will draw investment and opportunity and build our province's economic strength and competitive edge for generations to come."

The province is providing $2.8 million in funding to researchers from the three institutions under the Early Researcher Awards and approximately $684,000 in funding to researchers from UW and Laurier under the Ontario Research Fund program.

The Early Researcher Awards program helps promising and recently appointed researchers make new discoveries while creating jobs for graduate and undergraduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research assistants. The Ontario Research Fund - Research Infrastructure provides research institutions with money to help cover the costs of modern facilities and equipment.

“Laurier’s researchers here today already contribute greatly to the body of work in their fields,” said Goodrum. “The awards announced today will allow them to propel their research forward.”